Friday, January 27, 2012

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Fatherin heaven, hallowed be your name," Matthew 6:9

The Lord's Prayer may have been the first "grown up" prayer you learned. It was for me.

But I didn't learn that it was far more than just a prayer but rather a pattern for prayer and a new way to understand my relationship with God!

Recently I have been studying this important teaching of Jesus and discovered four great purposes for prayer:

1) Worship
2) Will
3) Wants
4) Warfare

In my last post I shared how prayer is an essential part of worship because prayer connects you with the Person of God.

This morning I want to show you a second aspect of prayer as worship - it brings you into God's presence.

The last couple days of our vacation we were hosted by some very dear friends. You probably have friends who seem like family and that is who this precious couple is to us. Time with them refreshes us because we enjoy each other's presence so much. We want to bless them and they are committed to blessing us.

Jesus, in John 15 shared some of the blessings of living in the presence of God:

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:1-11

Prayer brings you into the presence of God. Prayer enables you to remain in the presence of God. In His presence good things happen:

You will bear His spiritual fruit

You will have power in prayer

You will know His love

You will live in His joy

According to Jesus, prayer should be thought of as worship because it connects you with God's Person and brings you into His presence!